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Monday, 27 August 2012

I've been missing Snowdonia. It's usual for me to go playing there, however, my efforts were concentrated on the lakes for a while and the welsh mountain's nose's were pushed out a little. However.... It's great to have them back... whoop :)

So, the weekend has been amazing. A friend Ant Bethell and I headed over to Wales on Friday with the intention of some massive days running mountains. Ant and another friend George Bate have entered the Tor Des Geants race on the 9th September and Ant was hoping to get his last mammoth training session in before his mammoth taper. And I, well, I just wanted to run in the mountains I've been missing so so much.

My plan was for an early (ish) start on Saturday, however those of you who know Ant know he doesn't fair well when the sun raises, so I took off alone knowing that Ant would catch up when he was in the land of the living.

We'd decided to go with the flow and see where the day took us however to start at Ogwen Cottage and heading for the Carneddau, taking in the first 5 peaks: Pen Yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn, Pen Yr Helgi Du, Pen Llithrig y Wrach and down in to Plas Y Brenin.

Armed with map and compass, I headed like a little soldier towards Pen Yr Ole Wen. This is Llyn Ogwen on the right and the twenty min road run I took to the start of the ascent up Pen yr Ole Wen. I was excited about finding a fast route up and hopeful to have ascended within an hour. Pah hahaha haha.

I'd consulted with Ant t(who is very knowledgeable about the north Wales mountain ranges), the day before and he'd given me a few pointers to look out for like... 'when you come to the end of the shingly bit, bear right', 'it's about 3/4 of the way up the mountain'!

Monday, 20 August 2012

It's been a lovely weekend for putting in the miles. I've spend two days in the Peak District as I wanted to get some serious miles in my legs and test out a few things. So I decided to do a back to back weekend of trail. Gulp. It's been an amazing adventure. I've a few statistics of the two days weekend running for you to peruse:

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

I was perhaps being ambitious, certainly hopeful, to have been updating you'll on a little race I planned to dash to this evening. Eccles Pike fell race. I found it this morning and convinced myself it would be a great training session to leg it up and back down the 3.4 mile route.... hahahahah, 3.4 mile, you know what that means! Yeah, it's fast, oh, and tough oh, and demanding, according to the Goyt Valley website.

So I've been excited about it all day, in spite of the horrific down pours that we've been having. They stopped late afternoon and it was looking great for a short race of hell fire. Dashed home from work, gobbled omlette and salad to give my fairy wings a flutter and printed directions etc. I was cutting it fine, it's an hours drive and starts 7.30, it was 6.20 ish. packed bag, changed, so all I had to do was drive, park, pin, race, pick self up of the floor after collapsing and wallow in the enjoyment of my training session. In theory any how, in reality, by the time I was on my way it was just going to be too late. So I made the difficult decision to turn the car around and go home... run less and not smiling. So a session on the turbo and some other stuff will see me through this evening, however now, I really want a blast on a short fast race. Keep watching :)

Monday, 13 August 2012

What an amazing day. I've been out playing again. I had the pleasure of Ian 'the Speedmonster' Bishop's company. I met Ian for the first time a few months ago and a second occasion at the Montane Lakeland 100/50 race this year. He's great company and an awesome (and more than capable) runner. Ian is very familiar with the Peak district and his knowledge will have hopefully rubbed of on me when we went for a little jaunt on Sunday.

Playng in the Peak district Ian managed to drag me around for 40+ miles. I say 'dragged' because, I'd had a high mileage week and the pins a little tired and more importantly and more to the point... he is fast, ohhh yes he can turn up the gas alright. This has been a great training session for me, as I understand that it will help me to become more accustomed to more consistent running over trail as opposed to the stop starting techniques that fell running demands.

The weather was great, perfect in fact for a long day trail running. There isn't much water in the peaks, so I've learnt... now!! I'm used to filling up from streams and waterfalls in the big hills, so running out of fluid has been a good challenge, whilst i'd not recommend it at all, it's amazing how you can just keep going when you are forced too. We arrived in Castleton after about 20 miles, we went shopping for fluid and it was hard to remain composed stood in that shop whilst the assistance served us isotonic and water, we guzzled like it was the last supper and I think i'd drank a bottle before even getting out of the place.

I managed to pick up a few blisters along route and the last 10 miles were hard going what with tight hamstrings, tired legs and more blisters than I care to look at. But wow, what a day, Ian pushed me hard, I'm too proud to have stopped and am grateful to have shared that time with an awesome runner. Thanks Ian and lets do it again soon. Next time I drag him to the mountains.

Saturday, 11 August 2012

Talk Ultra: Episode 15 is now available to listen to on the podcast. There is some interesting chat, including the interviews of a few folk from the Lakeland 100 and Lakeland 50 and Devon Crosby-Helm is featured coupled with 'Speedgoat Karl' who talks about the Speedgoat 50.

I recommend that you have a nice glass of your favorite green smoothie, sit down and listen to the whole podcast. However, if you're about to dash out for your next training session and want to listen to a few things that I have to say about my Lakeland race then you'll hear me at about 25-26 mins in.

Monday, 6 August 2012

I decided to have a little trot around the Peak District on Saturday (4th Aug). As many of you know I'm navigationally challenged, and whilst there was still some tiredness in the pins from the Lakeland race I thought it a great idea to go and sharpen my skills with a map and compass. I say skills, I have one skill in this area, I can open the map!.

Sunday, 5 August 2012

I
remember smoking a fag half way through a cross country race in
senior school. I was 14 years old. You see, I had potential, it was
recognised by my sports tutor, Mrs Mountford, the thing was, I had to
run like crazy to catch up again during the race for two reasons: 1
So that Mrs Mountford didn't suspect I’d been smoking and 2: In
order that she didn't lose that belief in me. Then I discovered make
up and dresses and my pumps got a little dusty. Until two and a half
years ago that is.

This
is hardly the time to talk about my very limited running career
however it's safe to say, that it's amazing what you can achieve when
you believe in your capacity.

Hey people, I'll soon be posting on here, the first post will be my experience of an epic adventure of the lakeland 50 2012. Be warned... it's long.... and goes on a bit... like this post..... Happy days

Lakeland 50 2012.

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About Me

I run ... in Mountains.... on Trail..... sometimes tarmac and occasionally a treatmill. I'm excitable and childlike mostly and serious as little as is socially accepted in Western Society for a mature and intellegent woman .. ahem *polite cough*....I'm learning and hope to be still saying that in fifty years. I'm a misfit, I don't conform mostly!!